Florida Keys Travel Answers

The keys are fabulous. Very romantic. You're right that there aren't a lot of waves, but it's so pretty I don't think you'll miss them. If you go all the way to Key West, allow some time for wandering around along the way. The drive is spectacular. There's one old bridge that has been bypassed and they let you walk on it. Key west is kind of touristy, but it's the best place for good food and drink and hanging out. You might like the Southernmost on the Beach. There are some view rooms and it's right next door to a nice beach, and there's a wonderful pool. It's far enough from the hoopla to be peaceful, but close enough to walk to dinner and shopping. I don't think you're going to find nature filled evenings on the keys, but a stop in Flamingo (Everglades) wouldn't be too far out of the way. Bring your mosquito repellent if you go there, but there's lots of nature and it's a nice switch from the populated keys.

I'm not sure the Fla keys are the best place to find quiet relaxing nature filled evenings- unless you want to go to Key West and observe the wild (night) life. If you go there, I suggest two options you may enjoy- take a day trip to the Dry Tortugas- good clear water and fun snorkeling, and you can find out what happened to the Dr. who treated John Wilkes Booth's broken leg after he jumped down after shooting Abraham Lincoln- And, take a star gazing night trip out on the water - romantic, informational and relaxing. We went on the flag ship of the Key West (Conch Republic) navy. Seems like it cost about40 per and included chowder, beverages, talk by an astonomer, and we were out on the water about 3 1/2 hours. I think I remember a couple of nice beaches and parks on the way down through the keys to Key West- no sense being in a hurry, so you might as well stop for an hour or two along the way down. Hope this helps.

For the type of trip you want, I honestly wouldn't recommend the Keys. It's very "old Florida charm" not very romantic. The water is flat and beautiful to look at. However, so much of the coastline is restricted, most of your views will be from your car or from your hotel. Besides a few state parks, there arn't many nice public access areas. The Keys arn't known for their beaches, there arn't many and the ones they do have are very small. There are also a few homeless on the beach in Key West. Don't get me wrong, the Keys are beautiful and fun, but romantic beach walks...I didn't find any. I've found much nicer beaches in Hawaii, Mexico, Carribbean, and even mainland Florida. I wouldn't call it a vacation of dreams, it's more like a nice side trip for people who are visiting Florida. The hotels are also over priced. I stayed at one near Marathon for280 a night and honestly it was just average, Hawaii is actually cheap which really surprised me considering it's Florida. Are you locked on the Keys or still open to other destinations?

Well, we're open to suggestions. The Keys aren't going anywhere, we can go there another time. What did you have in mind?

Oh, I'm glad somebody else said it, coz I didn't want to bust your bubble, but not much in the keys is romantic. I really think you would be better off on Kuai or someplace in the Caribbean for the type of atmosphere you seem to be seeking. I don't know what your budget is, but check out Nevis, St. Kitts, even Honduras, St. Lucia and Barbados. If you are set on Fla., check out the west coast- Sanibel? Good luck- Key West is great for some people, but I'm not much into drunken tourists flashing their boobs, cheap beer and tattoos. Maybe in my younger days- but I found the frenetic atmosphere of staying up late drinking and sleeping by a crowded pool the next day to be rather sophmoric. IMHO

lol traveltime, yeah I would want someone to tell me the exact truth, even if it would burst my bubble. I'd also recommend Kauai (Hawaii). It is not very devloped, but wow...I have never seen such beauty in my life. It beats New Zealand, it beats Australia, it beats California, it beats Oregon, it beats Colorado, it beats Souther France, it beats Greece...it is breathtaking. Definetly take a helicopter tour! However, I would choose Oahu over Kauai because you get the best of both worlds. A great city with restaurants, culture and nightlife, but still breathtaking scenery. There are many parts of Oahu that are not developed, it just takes more research that most tourists don't do. Cliff jumping? Hiking to waterfalls? Downtown shopping? etc. Also, the value is better in Oahu. You get a lot more bang for your buck when it comes to lodging. I also woudn't recommend the Carribbean, even though their beaches are beautiful. I've taken 5 cruises in the Carribbean, I've been to almost all of them. Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Bahamas, St. Martin, St. Thomas, St. Lucia, Barbadous, St. Kitts, Tortola and a couple others. The scenery is beautiful as well, but having to haggle on EVERYTHING, seeing poverty, being hassled by vendors constantly, being treated as a tourist all the time. All they see you as is money. If you want romance and trip to remember, visit Kauai or Oahu. You will love it! Kauai is seriously un-touched, but because you also enjoy food and drink and experiencing local life, I'd recommend Oahu more and spend some of the time away from Waikiki.

Have you thought of staying in Key West? I try to take this trip annually because there is always something new and exciting to do! I have explored Duval St, Mallory Square, gone swimming in the ocean, check out Dry Tortuga, and my personal favorite is when I went on a fishing charter! I found all my information on fishkeywestfl.com. It was great because I went on a charter with some of my friends that were in experienced and my husband got to experience a more intense fishing trip that he loved! I still can not believe the amount of fish that he caught! I hope that you can plan the trip of your dreams! You can definitely accomplish everything that you want!